CORVALLIS, Ore.—Craig Robinson thinks his Oregon State Beavers are peaking at the right time.
“I couldn’t be happier right now,” the Beavers’ fourth-year coach said after his team clinched only its second winning season since Gary Payton was the point guard in the 1989-90 season with an 83-69 win over Colorado on Saturday. “I’ve been saying all year how much how fun it is to coach these guys.”
Ahmad Starks had all 18 of his points during an electrifying second half performance to lead the Beavers in the final game of the regular season for both teams.
Roberto Nelson added 16 points and Jared Cunningham had 15 for the Beavers (17-13, 7-11 Pac-12). Oregon State will be seeded either eighth or ninth in the Pac-12 tournament and will face Washington State in the first game.
Askia Booker had 15 points and Andre Roberson added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Buffaloes, whose hopes for the fourth seed and corresponding first-round bye were dashed. The Buffs (19-11, 11-7) need one more win to achieve back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. Colorado has lost three of its last four, including 90-81 Thursday night to Oregon.
“We are playing right now like the world owes us something,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “The world does not owe us anything.”
Starks, a 5-foot-9 sophomore point guard from Chicago, scored 11 straight points during a stretch early in the second half as the Beavers extended a one-point lead to more than 20.
Oregon State’s last winning season came in 2004-05, and before that in 1989-90, when Payton led them to the NCAA Tournament. The Beavers snapped a five-game losing streak on Thursday, cruising to a 77-67 win over Utah. Colorado won easily, 82-60, when the two teams met Feb. 2 in Boulder and Roberson dominated with 16 points and 15 boards.
On Saturday, it was the Beavers who were dominant. Oregon State controlled much of the first half, leading by as many as eight points. Austin Dufault converted a layup and Booker knocked in a long 3-pointer just before halftime to cut the lead to 30-27.
The Buffs scored the first basket of the half to cut the lead to one, but then the potent Beavers offense took over. Cunningham converted a four-point play and Angus Brandt made a 3-pointer to put the Beavers up six. Then Starks took over, with two 3-pointers, a three-point play and a jumper to quickly extend the lead to 19.
“We felt like that demoralized them and that was basically the game,” Starks said.
The Beavers, who lead the conference in scoring at 79.5 per game, never let up. Cunningham split the defense on a ferocious drive to the hoop to make it 68-44 with just over eight minutes left.
“When you get out-toughed when you are a coach it is hard to accept that,” Boyle said.
It was the final regular-season home game for Oregon State forward Kevin McShane, a one-time walk-on who has served as team captain for the past three seasons. At the suggested of starting Brandt, Coach Craig Robinson inserted McShane into the starting lineup. He was honored before the start of the game and received a prolonged ovation.
